Closure operator



Aug. 29, 1950 E. A. REHWALD CLOSURE OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 28, 1946 INVENTOR. Edmund A. Rehu/a/d ATTORNEYS INVENTOR. EdmuhdA. .Rehu/a/d ATTORNEYS Aug. 29, 1950 E A REHWALD CLOSURE OPERATOR FlledSept 28 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l, I nlmwfl i atenteci Aug. 29, 1 950CLOSURE OPERATOR;

Edmund A. Rehwald Rock-ford, 111., assignor to Barber-Colman Company,-Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 28,1946, Serial No". 706,019

12 Claims.

This invention relates to power driven operators for closures such asgarage or factory doors, and has more particular reference tosuch'operators in which the reciprocating motion to open and close theclosure is effected by a unidirectionally rotatable electric motor.

' The general object is to reduce substantially the cost of an electricmotor closure operator, while at the"same'time providing an operatorwhich is durable in construction and is adapted to actuate'a closurewith a smooth and substantially uniform motion even though the closureis not balanced accurately.

The :foregoing object is achieved in part through the provision of anovel yieldable ine-' chanicalconnection between an actuatingelement-moved' in an endless path and a reciprocatory member connectedto the closure to be operated. I

Another object i to form the reciprocable member above referredto in twoparts arranged for relative rotation in one direction only,

Still another object is to provide a novel quick detachable connectionbetween the reciprocable member and the element which moves in theendless path. a

1 Other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor operator-embodying thepresent invention and arranged to actuate a garage door.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the yieldableconnection between the operator and the door.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the part shown in Fig. 2.

" Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an overrunning clutch. t

Fig. 5 is a detailed-*viewof the parts forming the detachable connectionbetween the door and the operator; these'parts being shown in disengagedposition. I

I Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are fragmentary perspective views showing the partsof the yieldable connection in different positions.

For purposes of illustration the improved motor operator is shown in thedrawings applied to a garage door ill of the overhead type andcomprising a plurality of hingedly connected sections guided alongsidetra-cks H for movement from a vertical position (Fig. 1) closing adoor opening I2 to anoverhead or horizontal position beneath a. ceilingI3. The operator proper is mounted on a .frame H! secured to the ceilingl3 and spaced.

rearwardly from the door opening,

A unidirectional electric motor l5 operates through speed reductionmechanism such as belts"v Hi to drive a vertical shaft ll having asprocket [8 fast on its lower end. This sprocket meshes with an endlesschain 1 9 which extends to a posi-' tion adjacent'the door opening l2,where its other end meshes with a sprocket 20 rotatable on a verticalstud 2| which is supported by a bracket 2-2- secured to the buildingwall above the door open-'- ing. 7 The chain carries an actuatingelement inv the form of a vertical pin 23 secured to one link". of thechain and depending therefrom so as'to'; travel with'the chain in anendless path defined by the sprockets l8 and 20 and the intervening?straight runs of the chain.

' The back and forth motion of the actuating pin" 23 is imparted to thedoor through the intermediary of a car 24 of U-shaped cross sectionhaving upstanding sides which terminate in tubular guides 25 slidablealong spaced rods 26. The lat ter are located above the chain l9 andat'opposite" ends are secured by clamps 21 to the bracket 22" and themotor frame M. A vertical shaft 29' pro-j jecting through the car 2 4and J'ourna'led' ina" bearing 38 thereon is "formed at its lower endwith" a downwardly opening yoke 3| pivotally connected by a pin 32 toone end of an adjustable link 33. The other end of the latterisj'connecte'd; to the upper section of the door 'I 0 Which is thus;opened and closed in the rearward and forward: strokes of the car 24between limit positions determined by abutmentofthe car with the clamps;

In accordance with the present. invention, the: motion of the actuatingpin 23. on the chain transmitted tothe car Zllthrough a novel yield;-

horizontal positionasshown in Figs. 1. and 2 The block is urged intothis position by a torsion.

spring 38 encircling the pivot36. By prying the block 35 oiffrom.the-pin 23 and swinging the block downwardly out of engagement withthe.v

pin as shown in Fig. 5, the door may be -discon-.

nected from theohain and the motor operator thereby permitting the doorto be opened and closed manually.

Intermediate its ends, the link 34 has a lost motion connection with thecar shaft 29, which connection is formed by projection of the shaftthrough a slot 38 of substantial length formed in and extendinglongitudinally of the link 34. The slack in this lost motion connectionisnormally taken up by a spring 40, which preferably is of thecompression type and encircles and is supported by a rod ll secured atone end to a depend-- ing flange 42 on the other end of the link 34, Therod projects loosely through and is guided in a cross hole 43 in anenlargement. :ot the: shaft While the position of? the car: 24.:remains;fixed;

In the present instance, the; length: of. the spring. I is somewhatgreater than the. spacingi of the flange 421 and the.-shaftenlaiigementt 44 when the: shaft is. at the end of the slot' 3.5Lfarthest: from the flange. 42: as. shown in.Fig.;.7-...This-arrangerment; insures. that all; slack. in. the. lost motion:connection will be. taken up at, all. times,

accordance. with another: aspect of the in.-

ventioman overrunnmgclntcl'rdevice.crone Way ratchetv is: provided. to,prevent; turni 11g, of the shaft relative to the carinone directionvwhile pera mitting: free turning of tho shaft and thelink 34. in, theother direction; astheaotuatingpinz travels;

, around; the chain. sprockets, Herein; thisv device comprises, ahelical.- p in i ,-.e1 Qe y Wou d. around a cylindrical nutiljlthl'eadedQ on other; wise rigidlyv secur d. o .th unoenend' o t e Shaft 295abovofihecar-Zfl-s Thisls r ngi ict onal y rips heibcdro i the ne hileth l we en e sr: tamed: y a; screw 591 20. he: car 149,. W t th arrangeme t. o w e turn n o the. S a t 29 as viewed n; Fig. -w 11. tenditqunw d he. spr n permitt he h t ,3. i0: 21 reel f lfiii t h s Th v insfisht nei ew eri r nd; tbs-r v se: t rn n t e shaft and h s locks t s f.(3 19 turn nsrr lm. Biz-misses Wetlands? f a-n-unb eq er to more, b. k;and forth relative; to, the oqntinuously. t% 39i -.PP 9 3 re d. andiin:9 insta r ces substantially eliminated. The door. is, t lrerefore,moved. speciajlw mm closing. direc; tion with a smoother and'le'ss'jerky motion even, though it, is connected. to the actuating, pin 23 byarealily yielda le cormection,v

'I'hfe. cycles of the, motor 1.5"arestarted in the usual way bymanual'or automatic closure of a suitable switch (not. shown), and areterminated" in, response to actuation of a limit switch 52. by either oftwo cams 53 (Fig, 3'): fixed tot e chain [9; at. spaced points, The camsarepositi'oned'to actuate the, limit swit hes the actuating pin 23starts around the corresponding-sprocket (Fig. 6) when the door reachesits limit' positiongthe motor and the chain motions being arrested whenthe actuating pin reaches the dead center nosition as shown in Fig.3orisdisposed'slight1y'beyondthis position.

Assuming that the motoroperator is, at restwith the door closed. theparts will be o itionedas shown in Figs. 1 2, and 3: the shaft 7.9 beingdisposed in t e near end of the slot 39" with the link 34* lyingsubstantially parallel tothe path-of i e. r nel; r pin of. he-n by he-f4 the car 24. When the motor is started in the next door opening cycle,the actuating Pin 23 moves farther around the sprocket 20, the link 34turning around the shaft 29 and sliding relative to the latter to permitthis motion.

In this motion, the distance between the actuating pin 23 and the shaft29 is shortened as permitted by sliding of the-shaft aiong the;v slot39, this motion being assisted by-tlr'e force of the spring 4-D. Thus,during the initial part of each cycle, there is no load on the motor l5,and the latter, comes up to full running speed before any load isimposed, thereby permitting the use of an; inexpensive. low: startingtorque motor without danger'ofthe latter being damaged in service use.

As the actuating pin approaches a position opposite theshaft 29, thatis, when the link 34 extends transversely of the path of the car, theparts will then be disposed in the position shown in Fig. '7. Then inthe further movement of the actuating pin, the, link 34; slidesreylerselyniclative to. the; shaft 2:9; and; acting through th spring;4.9 applies; the force of; the operator to; the; carianct. the door toinitiate moyement of: the latter.-.. The: shock of: starting: the door:thus cushioned. by;- the spring which forms a yieldablei conneeti'onfor:transmitting the, motiorr: of actuatingzpin 23 to the door to-open. thelatten.

When the door reaches a: limitpositikm, for ex;- ample,. the closedposition, the'a'ctuating pi'nIZS. will have reached thersprocket 20:and. started-i around the latter, with the linkrlfi lr and the: spring?35] in the relation shownin Fig. 6; The motor circuit is now opened:by=-thez cam 53 and the actuating pin 2-3 continues tot'ravel around mesprocket: T29. tothe: final position shown: in" 3' The car 24 and theshaft; 2-9 now biaingstatio1rary. the link 34 will move endwise relativeto the shaft as permitted by further compressiori of without a je kymotion inspite of" the yield nee essarilv provided in order to perm tthe use'ofa un direct onal electric mot r. The overall cost of the dooroperator" is reduced; substantiallyas ccmnared tooperators havingreversible electric motors. I

I claim as mvinvention:

1'. A c osureoperator hav ng; incombination, an act ating elementmovable along an endless path having strai'ght'sides-and arcuateconnect5; ing ends, a car guided: for reciprocatory move ment ba k a d for hbetween limit positions" along a line dispos'ed betwe'en said pathsides; a shaft .iournaled on said car to turn about an perpendcularto-theplarie ofsaid path and ada ted for pivotal connection with aclosure member t be operated, al ink'pivotally connec ed atone endto-said actuating element/and havin a longitudinally elongated slot"intermediate its ends receiving said shaft, and a resilient;

element? acting in compressionbetween the other endofsaid lihkandsaidshaft, I

2. A closure operator having, in combination," an actuating-.-element-movable alongan endless path, a car guided; for recipro'catorym(weiri'ent back and forthv in a line disposed between the: sides ofsaid path, a shaft-journaled -on said car to turn about an axisperpendicular to thepfa ne' of s'aid' path: and-i adapted for pivotalconnection with a closure member-to be operated; alinkpivotallyconnected at one end to'said car aetu ating element having alost motion connection intermediate its ends with said shaft, and aresilient element acting in compression between the other end of saidlink and said shaft.

3. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a shaft journaled on said car to turnabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted forpivotal connection with a closure member to be operated, a linkpivotally connected to said car and having a lost motion connection withsaid shaft, and means resiliently connecting said link and said shaft.

4. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turnabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted forpivotal connection with a closure to be operated, and means providing alongitudinally extensible link connection between said member and saidactuating element including a part resiliently yieldable longitudinallyof the link.

5. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turnabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted forpivotal connection with a closure to be operated, a link connectionlongitudinally extensible and contractible and pivotally connected atspaced points to said actuating element and said member, and meansassociated with said connection and acting yieldably to cushion theendwise contraction of the connection.

6. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turnabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted forpivotal connection with a closure to be operated, means providing aresiliently yieldable and longitudinally extensible link connectionbetween said member and said actuating element, and means providing anoverrunning clutch connection between said car and said memberpermitting turning of said link connection relative to the car as saidactuating element travels around the ends of said path but restrainingreverse relative turning between said car and member.

7. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turnabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said path and adapted forpivotal connection with a closure to be operated, means providing aresiliently yieldable and longitudinally extensible link connectionbetween said member and said actuating element, and means connectingsaid car and said member to permit free relative turnin of the two inone direction but restraining such turning in the opposite direction.

8. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating elementmovable along an endless path, a car guided for reciprocatory movementback and forth within said path, a member journaled on said car to turnrelative to the latter in one direction, means restraining turning ofsaid member relative to said car in the opposite direction, and meansproviding a resiliently extensible connection between said member andsaid actuating element.

9. A closure operator having, in combination, an actuating pin movablealong an endless path, a car reciprocable back and forth longitudinallyof said path and adapted for connection with a closure to be operated,means providing a resiliently extensible and contractible linkconnection pivotally connected to said car, and a member hinged on saidlink connection and adapted to interengage with said pin to connect thelatter detachably to said pin.

10. A closure operator, having, in combination,

an actuating element movable along an endless path, a car reciprocableback and forth longitudinally of said path and adapted for connectionwith a closure to be operated, means providing a resiliently extensibleand contractible link connection pivotally connected to said car, and amember hinged on said link and adapted to interenga e with said elementand form a readily disengageable connection between said element andsaid car.

11. A closure operator having, in combination, two spaced sprockets, anendless chain extending around said sprockets, a car guided forreciprocatory movement back and forth within said chain and adapted forconnection with a closure to be reciprocated, a member journaled on saidcar, a link connection between said member and a point on said chain,said member turning relative to said car while said point is travelingaround one of said sprockets, and means constantly exerting a frictionforce resisting turning of said member in at least one directionrelative to said car.

12. The combination of, an endless chain having laterally spacedparallel sides and arcuate ends, sprockets supporting said chain andmeshing with the latter at said ends, a unidirectional electric motordriving one of said sprockets, a switch controlling the stopping of saidmotor, a car guided for movement back and forth between said chainsides, a member journaled on said car and adapted for connection with adevice to be reciprocated, a link connected at one end to said memberand pivotally connected at the other end to a point on said chainwhereby to permit said point to travel around the said sprockets whilesaid car dwells at the end of its stroke, and means carried by saidchain and actuating said switch to stop said motor during said dwellingof the car and while said chain point is engaging said sprocket wherebyto allow for idle travel of the point after starting of said motor andbefore movement of said car is initiated.

EDMUND A. REI-IWALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,927 Withington Dec. 7, 18751,787,164 Parkin Dec. 30, 1930 2,052,911 Weathers Sept. 1, 1936

